One night, on the Jonathan Ross Show in England, Mako and Raleigh were asked their opinion on the future.
A Drift goes both ways, they thought to each other through the remnants of said Drift. There was a possibility that a breach did so as well. Of course, they weren't allowed to talk publicly about that with anyone, specially the media.
Raleigh, being the one with more experience at public speaking, answered, "Well, like everyone else, we hope for peace. Which, thankfully, we've gotten for over a year now, so.. I think it's safe to say that for now, our world's future is secure."
"For now?" Mr. Ross said.
"Yes. Right now and hopefully for ever, we can live without the threat of a Kaiju attack."
"What do you say, Miss Mako?"
"Well, I agree with Raleigh. It is nice to live in peace, without thinking that at anytime today or tomorrow a Kaiju could appear."
At another interview, this time with Jimmy Fallon, they were asked about kids.
"Do you like kids, Mako?"
"Oh, I love kids. They're wonderful. Sometimes, I think I have little patience, though."
The three laughed at this.
"What about you, Raleigh?"
"Kids are the best. They're fun to play with."
"Fun to play with?!"
"Yeah. Absolutely," he chuckled. "Have you ever been beaten down by kids?"
"No! No, I have not. I take it you have, though." Jimmy laughed.
"Well, I'm always volunteered for the role as the Kaiju when we play Jaegers Fight Back."
Jaegers Fight Back was a game children had begun to play when the Jaegers had first been made. It was basically a modified game of freeze tag. With each Jaeger victory, the game became more popular and lovable. Teams or pairs of kids would pretend they were Jaegers and chase "kaijus" around the playground. The unofficial rules stated that you couldn't hurt the other children that were kaijus, but it was still fun to freeze someone.
"Do you get beat up?"
"Oh, yes. All the time." Mako answered for Raleigh.
"So you've seen this happen?"
"I'm the one that gets the kids off him."
Jimmy asked, "Would you ever want to have kids? Not necessarily together. Unless you want to have kids together."
The crowd oohed and Mako and Raleigh laughed.
"Actually," Mako spoke. "I'm not sure I want kids. With anyone."
Everyone, including Raleigh, looked at her questioningly.
"I mean, I love children. But I'm a Ranger. I was a pilot. Raleigh and I are still part of the PPDC, we're still military. I don't think I would have the time and effort to care for a child. It is a full time job after all."
Her response was well worded. But what she really thought was that she didn't want kids because, what if the Kaiju came back? The world could die. Chaos, fear, anxiety, uncertainty, death. She didn't want that for anyone. Least of all children. There was no way to guarantee a safe future for anyone and she wanted a guarantee before she even began to consider having kids, which was quiet sadly, impossible.
"What about you, Mr. Becket? Do you want to have children?"
"No." Raleigh answered simply, shaking his head with an expression of nonchalance. "They're fun to be around, but like Mako well put, they require time and dedication." He shrugged. "Besides, I don't really see myself as a father, anyway."
Once the show was over, Raleigh and Mako headed to their hotel. But Mako was unusually quiet. Raleigh took her hand in his and held it in the seat between them inside their limousine.
" あなたは大丈夫？" (You okay?) He asked softly in Japanese.
" 私は元気です." (I'm fine.) She answered with a smile.
" あなたは静かだったので、私は多分何かがあなたを悩ませていたと思いました." (You were quiet, so I thought something was bothering you.) His Japanese had gotten a lot better and he liked practicing by speaking to his best friend in her native tongue.
She scooted closer to him and leaned her head against his shoulder, whilst he leaned his head on hers.
"Do you think the monsters will come back?" Mako asked quietly.
"I hope not Mako. I really wish I could be sure." Raleigh answered, the two still speaking Japanese.
"Newton's and Geizler's calculations and theories aren't too optimistic," she said, deflated.
"If they do come back," Raleigh began, "we'll go bigger, we'll fight harder, like we always have. We'll be ready for them."
Through the few remaining strands of the ghost drift, they found courage and strength from each other.
"Your Japanese is getting a lot better." Mako mumbled sleepily.
"Just better, Mako? I'd say I'm fluent by now."
"Nah. You're too boastful."
"Aww, come on, Mako. You wound me."
"Alright," she sounded more asleep than awake and her words were slurred. "You're fluent in the language."
"Mission accomplished." Raleigh smiled a bit cheekily.
He got no response, though, and when he looked over at his copilot, he found she was fast asleep. He let out the softest of laughs and leaned his head on hers again.
The limousine driver opened the door for Raleigh to step out, standing out of the way, to the side. Seconds passed and the Ranger didn't come out.
Frowning, the driver peered inside. He cracked a smile and with a gloved hand, gently shook Raleigh, successfully waking him up. "We're here, sir."
"Oh. Yes. Thank you." Raleigh said, blinking.
The driver smiled and moved out of the way again. He watched in surprise and then amusement as he saw Raleigh get out, then turn around and lean inside, picking up the still sleeping Mako.
"Thanks for the ride, sir," Raleigh said then walked inside their hotel.
The driver watched him enter, carrying Mako like something fragile and precious.
Driving the pilots around certainly payed off when it meant seeing Raleigh carrying Mako inside the hotel like a baby, the driver thought.
He chuckled and closed their door.